Last Chance Harvey (2009)

By no means do I damn with faint praise when suggesting that this is a "small" film. Rather, only to suggest that it covers a brief period of time (a few days), in a single setting (London), focuses primarily on only two characters, and there few plot developments. Briefly, Harvey Shine (Dustin Hoffman) is employed by an advertising agency in Manhattan as a jingle writer when we are introduced to him. Almost immediately we sense that he is dissatisfied with both his career (he would prefer to earn a living as a jazz composer and performer) and with the current state of his life (he is divorced and apparently alienated from his adult daughter, Susan, who is about to be married in London). The title refers to both situations: Charley is advised by his boss Marvin (Richard Schiff who played the character Toby Ziegler on the television program, The West Wing) that his job is in jeopardy. After a very brief encounter upon arrival at Heathrow Airport with Kate Walker (Emma Thompson) seeking to obtain travel information from passengers, Harvey is saddened to learn from Susan (Liane Balaban) that she has decided that her stepfather Brian (James Brolin) will accompany her down the aisle. Of course, Harvey encounters Kate again and then....

The acting is outstanding. The setting is especially appropriate for what happens to a troubled New Yorker, among strangers in a strange city, at a time when he is running out of options in all areas of his life. Kate has concerns of her own but seems less troubled, probably because she fulfills at least some needs by comforting and reassuring her mother Maggie Walker (Eileen Atkins) who calls her constantly throughout the day (and evening), concerned about trivial matters. We know almost nothing else about Kate's private life, other than the absence of romance and few (if any) chances of finding it. She clearly does not wish to be hurt and is sensibly reluctant to become involved with anyone, even a stranger who is clearly unhappy, feels rejected, and in need of attention and kindness.

Five Star ratings of films should be reserved for "classics" and that is especially true of romantic comedies such as It Happened One Night, Little Shop Around the Corner, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail. Last Chance Harvey is not in their class. However, I think Hoffman and Thompson are not only superb but have charming chemistry, the film is well-made, respectful of awkward adult situations with potentially serious consequences, and arrives at its happy ending with a pleasing plausibility.

I understand that most people that go to movies are in their early 20's and the movie makers knowing this,aim their films for that audience generally,but this is a wonderful surprise.

A charming story of people at an older age that have hit many dead ends in life but because of chance,they discover that life doesn't have to be done, there can be a future filled with the excitement that you might feel only lived in the past.

With the two great actors,Dustin Hoffman & Emma Thompson and a wonderful supporting cast,this is a very well made movie that I feel has the legs to stand up for viewings in the future and still have that same warmth and heart.

I think that some of the twenty somethings that might see this now and write it off as silly,could very well see this film in several years and view it very differently after they gain some of the experience and disappointments that life brings.

I really feel this could be viewed as a classic in the future,

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For those looking for a fast-paced, ultra-modern, and formulaic romantic comedy feel free to run back to the bad acting, effects-laden Hollywood tripe so often produced for an unimaginative audience. If, however, you are looking for a thoughtful and surprisingly human story, then Last Chance Harvey deserves your attention. Rather than finding this movie slow and boring, my wife and I felt compelled to stay up past our bedtime because we simply couldn't fall asleep until it was over.

Yes, the movie moves at a walking pace--that's part of its charm! We should rediscover the skills of paying attention to a real story that does not require the aide of special effects and heart-pounding action. Simply put, the story itself is beautiful and wonderfully acted. Its true-to-life and a worthy addition to one's movie library if one has an eye for art rather than mere amusement.

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Very slow movie throughout. The plot revolves around a man, Harvey (Dustin Hoffman), a jingle writer. He is about to lose his job and has a difficult relationship with his daughter. He travels to London to attend his daughter's wedding and meets Kate (Emma Thompson) who works for an airline conducting research. They experienced an unexpected and lovely romance. The movie is indeed lovely but so darn slow! Although the acting was amazing; actually, it was phenomenal, I was still falling asleep. I can't help but wonder what this movie could have been in the hands of another, more dynamic director.

I especially like the featurette as it revealed a lot of interesting things about the movie. For example, I though the movie was based on a book. Actually, the screenplay was written especially for the actors Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson.

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This movie is wonderful. I have to comment on some of the criticisms I have seen here--if you are looking for belly laughs and lousy computer generated effects,take your short attention span back to your x-box. This movie is a beautiful exercise in real story telling. These two seasoned actors bring incredible meaning and depth to a movie about real things that happen to people in real life. I was touched by the obvious and not so obvious messages in this story and feel it was, for me, a much awaited change from the fast-paced, meaningless bumblers Hollywood keeps ralphing out. Very well done--and thanks to Hoffman and Thompson for taking me along for the stroll. I needed the fresh air...

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Fair Game (2010)

Remember Joe Wilson, the man who called a US President a liar?

No, I don't mean the Congressman from South Carolina who shouted out a spontaneous "You Lie!" at President Barack Obama during the State of the Union address. I'm referring to Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson who wrote a New York Times editorial entitled "What I Didn't Find In Africa" contradicting President George W. Bush regarding the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

"Fair Game" relates to the latter Joe Wilson (played by Sean Penn), who served as a diplomat in Africa during the 1990's and was asked to visit Niger prior to the Iraqi war to determine if there was yellowcake uranium there. Ambassador Wilson did not find the uranium on his visit and when the President referred to the uranium being there, he wrote a contradiction.

As a result of that contradiction, Wilson's wife CIA agent Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) was determined to be 'fair game' by the Bush Administration. Her cover was blown and the operations she engaged in were all scrapped, including getting Iraqi nuclear scientists who had been involved in Iraq's nuclear program before it was destroyed during a previous US invasion and their families free from their war-torn country.

The film's a tightly paced combination spy thriller and domestic drama. On one hand, you see the front page news of "Plamegate". Valerie's discredited and her career is dismantled. She goes from being a well-traveled agent with highly critical projects to 'a secretary' or a 'low level flunky' depending on what you read.

On the other, you see the Wilson homelife unraveling. The idealistic Joe is counterpointed strongly by his realistic wife as the country turns against them both. They receive countless threats, to the point of Valerie having to remove her children from their home.

This investigation resulted in the case, US vs. Libby in which Vice President Dick Cheney's aide Scooter Libby was tried on five federal felony counts. Libby was convicted on four of those charges, involving false statements, perjury, and obstruction of justice, none of which related directly to the Plame revelation but rather to his failure to cooperate with the subsequent investigation into the revelation. Libby was sentenced to 30 months in prison and a fine of $250,000. President Bush subsequently commuted Libby's sentence.

If you're interested in Wilson's memoirs, check out: The Politics of Truth: A Diplomat's Memoir: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife's CIA Identity

Rebecca Kyle, November 2010

FAIR GAME

STARRING: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Ty Burrell, Brooke Smith, Thomas McCarthy, Jessica Hecht, Noah Emmerich, Bruce McGill and Sam Shepard

WRITTEN BY: Jez Butterworth and John Henry Butterworth; based on the books, The Politics of Truth, by Joseph Wilson, and Fair Game by Valerie Plame

DIRECTED BY: Doug Liman

Rated: PG 13

Genre: Drama

Release Date: 05 November 2010

Review Date: 09 November 2010

A very rewarding and not highly practiced treat in cinema, is sitting down in your seat at a theater and having no idea what kind of movie you're about to watch; not the premise, not the rating, not the genre.

I've been fortunate to do this a few times and it can be awesome. If you're wondering how you can do this, well every once in a while for whatever reason, a studio will release a film with A-list talent but only put it in a selected handful of theaters across the country. As such was the case for me when I drove 15 miles to see Fair Game at my city's `artsy' theater, knowing only that it was the new Sean Penn.

I was also surprised to learn at the film's close, that it was based very largely on a true story. Fair Game shows a couple who was sabotaged by the media when they exposed that the government had blatantly lied about where Iraq may or may not have gotten their supposed nuclear warheads, way back at the brink of the Iraq war.

Now before you get all fussy due to the touchy political subject matter, RELAX. I'm a proud American and served in the Military and I didn't find the film offensive. We are all aware that Sean Penn is known for voicing his lefty political views rather radically; but I strongly think 99 percent of us with brain stems will agree with his character's speech at the end of the film.

This movie isn't about bashing Bush or his administration and it's not about being anti-American and painting a portrait that displays Iraqi terrorists as the good guys and us as the bad guys. If anything, it's a film showcasing both our beautiful God-given rights to freedom of speech and that if you KNOW firsthand that someone lied, then you may want to do something about it; sometimes no matter what the cost.

I'm not going to say whether or not the film is 100 percent accurate because I don't know that and you don't know that. Hell, the filmmakers probably don't even know that. But we ALL know that things were shady to say the least for a while there, and that surely somewhere, SOMEONE lied big or small, they did; and it was most likely more than one person.

Anyway Fair Game shows us a character named Joe Wilson (Sean Penn) who volunteered to go to Africa on behalf of the CIA's request, to investigate if and or how weapons of mass destruction could have been shipped from there. The film shows us very clearly, that they could not have been. Our character knows this. Oh, and he was asked to do this by the way, because his wife Valerie (Naomi Watts) is a CIA operative, and Joe has some experience in this field, the details of which I'll leave for you to discover.

When Joe returns, he is baffled to soon learn that we are going to war, and that the President and the Pentagon have more or less claimed that it was proven that these WMDs did in fact come from Africa, and that Iraq has them and that we need to step in. Being one of, if not THEE only American who knows this to be not true, Joe naturally feels a duty to report this. So he writes and article, has it published and all hell breaks loose for him and his wife, and that's all I'm going to tell.

There are however, a slew of small additional things to mention to you. The acting is sensational; specifically from both Penn and Watts, no shocker there I'm sure. The cinematography is terrific as is the direction by Doug Liman who also brought us The Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. And the film is brilliantly written and it displays scenes of realistic moments we can all relate to; such as political discussions at a dinner table with friends or family who are quick to run their mouths about things of which they have no personal experience with. You know, dinners where everyone at the table is an expert and can solve all the world's problems? Yeah, dinners like that.

If anything, aside from being entertaining from start to finish, Fair Game is a movie that makes you think. It makes us realize how the media will often twist and skew things to be interpreted the way they see fit; and don't worry I'm not blind to the fact that Hollywood does this as well.

Although the odds are high that it will never happen to you or me, each and every one of us could be `fair game' to the media or the government's vendetta driven shenanigans at any moment. But what's great about America, and what this film is trying to convey to us, is that thanks to our amazing Constitution... the media and government can be fair game as well.

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Fair Game is one of the best politically themed films in quite some time an equally riveting and well told story of the Bush administration's leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity to the general public. I highly recommend this movie no matter what side of the political spectrum you are on if for nothing more than two see the two Oscar-worthy performances of Naomi Watts and Sean Penn. The movie is great, and the final sequence of the film is one of the year's best.

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I watched the Valerie Plame hearing on TV when it was shown. What got us in the Iraq war amoung other things was what had been done to the Wilsons when Joe Wilson wrote his op-ed about Niger not selling anything to Saddam Huessen. This goes into more of their behind the scenes life & how Joe Wilson fought what the G.W. Bush admin was putting out especially V.P. Cheney. But even though Cheney was behind it all & "Scooter" Libby took the fall for him & when Scooter was sentenced, Bush IMMEDIATELY pardoned him before he even spent a day in prison (he did pay a $250.000.00 fine & lost his Lawyers license) but they in my estimation WERE THE WINNERS. Joe Wilson & Valerie Plame came out clean but the administration was raked over the coals. At the end of the movie it shows Valerie Plame walking into the Capital to testify---that was her. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN HOW OUR GOVERNMENT CAN TURN LIES INTO THE TRUTH----YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS MOVIE. BUSH HAD SAID ON TV WHEN THEY "OUTED" HER THAT IF ANYONE IN HIS ADMINISTRATION HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT HE WOULD FIRE THEM. YOU GUESSED IT------NO ONE WAS FIRED---ANOTHER LIE STRAIGHT FROM THE PRESIDENT IN REAL TIME. So enjoy the movie---it's good.

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Some have compared this film to "All the President's Men", which told of the travails of the intrepid reporters who unraveled the Watergate scandal.

There's one large and tragic difference between that story and the one told in "Fair Game". Watergate forced Richard Nixon to resign his office in disgrace. The treasonous activities perpetrated by Bush, Cheney, and their cronies have had all but no repercussions.

Bush now makes thousands speaking at company functions. Cheney is about to release a book justifying his misdeeds. And Bush commuted the sentence of the one guy who took a fall for the "Plamegate" scandal, Cheney's operative Scooter Libby.

Make no mistake. The story told in "Fair Game" captures one of the darkest hours in American history. The leaders of our nation launched a war of aggression on another country, attempting to justify their actions based on the flimsiest web of false information.

When one courageous citizen, former ambassador Joe Wilson, spoke out about the campaign of deceit waged by the White House, the White House exposed his wife, Valerie Plame, as a CIA operative, and attempted to discredit the couple in a wave of lies and vitriol that lasted four long years.

Any American, either on the right or left, who cares about "truth, justice, and the American way" should be outraged and disgusted by what went on here. This movie does a valuable service in dramatizing and focusing a complicated story obscured in real life by the fog of disinformation into a taut hour-and-forty-five minute drama.

This DVD also brings more to the story than the original theatrical release, because the disc includes illuminating commentary by Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame. Their testimony gives the film a stamp of unimpeachable veracity unlike the flim flam concocted by the Bush administration in its helter-skelter runup to the Iraq War.

Happily, the couple now seem happy and proud of their courageous actions, but they also remark how watching the film brings back some terrible recollections, especially when they see the footage the film contains of the warmongers spewing their pathetic lies on camera.

Bush, Cheney, Peter King, Condoleeza Rice, and others should all be ashamed and shunned for the rest of their lives by all true Americans.

The performances by Naomi Watts and Sean Penn as the embattled couple are impeccable, and indeed Plame and Wilson both say what accurate portrayals of themselves are on display here.

In my opinion, this film should be required viewing by all school children here in the United States for generations to come. And for those families whose loved ones gave the ultimate sacrifice in that unjust war, one can only feel the deepest of sympathy.

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Mr. Sardonicus & Brotherhood of Satan - BD Double Feature

I am a huge fan of William Castle.He was an A producer of B films. He comes through again in Mr. Sardonicus. It is a solid film with some good performances, most notably from Oscar Homolka. He is excellant as the servant. Brootherhood of Satan I felt was disjointed,and slow. Not a great film. For a Blu-Ray no extras for either film.TMr. Sardonicus & Brotherhood of Satan BD Double Feature [Blu-ray]hey should have had isolated scores,and comentary's. Scene selection, these movies were really bare bones.

These are two great low budget horror films that are unique, tell a great story, and are entertaining from start to finish. The remastering is superb and the detail is amazing. Mr. Sardonicus (1961) was one of William Castle's most original films, and you'll not want to take your eyes off the screen. Strother Martin's performance in The Botherhood of Satan as a coven leader is unforgettable. The nostalgia factor is huge especially if you can remember evenings at the drive-in theater in the 1960s.

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If you think that an old movie isn't worth making into a blue ray think again Dr.Sardonicus in black and white looks so crystal clear its amazing it looks better than when it was released.this movie is on the order of a hammer film,a little far fetched but it sucks you in anyhow the acting is top notch with some graet stars.

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Child's Play (1988)

A worthy edition of Child's Play hits shelves on September 9th as a nice appetizer before Halloween which is most horror fans version of Christmas. What better gift then a good guy doll.

Chucky has become a horror icon over the years. Directed by horror contributor Tom Holland who also directed Fright Night. Holland also wrote Psycho II and the screenplays for the brutal Class of 1984 and the classic 80s film Cloak & Dagger. Another horror regular Brad Dourif and that voice, he makes Chucky a doll version of Samuel L. Jackson's, Jules, from Pulp Fiction. Most notably his response to being thrown in the fire. Dourif along with the Fx team helped create one of the best doll horror movies. Other good one's that come to mind are the Zuni fetish doll from Trilogy of Terror and Stuart Gordon's Dolls.

The original dvd:

Originally Child's Play contained a non widescreen edition. As for special features it contained a collectible behind the scenes booklet that wasn't very collectible. If you'd like a real write up on Child's Play check out the somewhat new magazine HorrorHound. In issue #10 they do a in depth retrospective on the Child's Play series. I highly recommend this magazine as well, unlike Fangoria it does more articles on horror over the years instead of just new stuff.

The 20th Anniversary Edition:

Special Features

Commentary track with creator/writer Don Mancini and producer David Kirschner.

A second track with FX guru Kevin Yagher, Catherine Hicks (Kevin's wife; they met on the film), and now-grown-up Alex Vincent.

A third track with Mancini and Chucky (Brad Dourif voicing in character).

The film itself is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen.

Making-of documentary blending archival footage with new, on-camera interviews with Mancini, Kirschner, Yagher, Hicks, Vincent, Chris Sarandon, John Lafia and Brad Dourif.

All this commentary should blow away the 1 page "collectible" piece of paper with the original dvd release.

I'd also recommend to those who like the series, which I do, (there a fun time) to pick up Chucky The Killer DVD Collection, for those into cover art there is a doll of Chucky coming out of the cover with various weapons he can choose from on the side.

Hope this helps.

A serial killer has mysterious disappeared from the cops and found tumbled into a toy store after being shot by one of the policeman. He must find something to transfer his soul into another form of a body that will keep him alive until he can a living host. So he finds one of the childrens most favorite dolls known as the Good Guy dolls. He tranfers his soul into the doll and find a person to retransfer it into a human. If you ask me, I'd say this movie had suprisingly good special effects in the movie. Especially on the Chucky doll. Brad Douif does a great job on the voice of Chucky as he goes killing people without anyone knowing who he really is, except for the fact that he is a walking, talking, stalking, doll. The trouble starts as a little boy's dream was to get a Good Guy doll for Christmas and so the mother starts to panic, that she can't find one. But a strange man as just apparently had a Good Guy doll for sale. When the little boy gets the doll for Christmas...and well, you should know what happens from then on! Chucky's back, Jack!

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This is the best Child's Play/Chucky movie of all time! It was actuallly HORROR and scared me when I was a kid. This movie deserves to be bought, great acting, great entertainment, great horror. Watch this!!!!!

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Forget Seed of Chucky, Bride of Chucky, and the other two sequels that came after this surprisingly good horror romp. Tom Holland (Fright Night) directed this horror romp, in which the soul of a deranged killer inhabits a child's doll. Child's Play manages to boast a few genuine scares and add some creepy atmosphere to boot, with Brad Dourif doing great work as the voice of killer "good guy" doll Chucky. I won't go into the plot, since everyone pretty much already knows it, but what I will say is that this is about ten times better than any movie to feature the killer doll released since, and surprisingly the film hasn't aged too badly. All in all, if you've never seen the original Child's Play, give it a try; although I wish the DVD were presented in widescreen.

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Child's Play (Chucky's 20th Birthday Edition) has some extras that the first DVD release did not have.

I of course recommend this to any fan of the franchise.

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Ruthless (1948)

Cult director Edgar G. Ulmer's magnificently perverse "Ruthless" finally arrives on DVD and blu-ray, courtesy of Olive Films. It's been a long time coming. For years, the only prints available for home viewing were bootleg copies, most of them missing several minutes of footage, apparently spliced together from broadcast showings that had been taped on VHS cassettes. Olive Films has rectified that situation with a satisfactory (but hardly spectacular) transfer of a complete print.

An independent production released in 1948 through Eagle-Lion, "Ruthless" tells the story of young man from a hardscrabble background whose lack of parental love and affection creates a fatal emotional flaw in his character. We watch him climb his way up the financial ladder, callously ruining every life he touches betraying the people who have helped him along the way and destroying every woman who is unfortunate enough to fall in love with him. The movie, in some ways evocative of "Citizen Kane" in theme and style, is nonetheless replete with distinctive Ulmer flourishes including unusual camera angles, deep shadows, razor sharp and artfully lit close-ups, and a fatalistic tone. Bert Glennon's cinematography is outstanding, as are the art direction by Frank Sylos, the musical score by Werner Janssen, and the costumes by Don Loper.

Ulmer was fortunate to be able to assemble a remarkable cast, some of whom give the best performances of their careers in "Ruthless". Zachary Scott is brilliant in the leading role of Horace Vendig. He doesn't flinch from the character's amoral core, and yet he manages to convey an undertone of wounded misunderstanding even in his most sadistic and manipulative scenes. Scott's portrayal is reinforced by the performance of Bob Anderson as the youthful Vendig. (Anderson also played the role of young George Bailey in Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life".) Diana Lynn, best known as a contract player in Paramount comedies, is dazzling in a dual dramatic role, playing two of the women in Vendig's orbit. Special kudos go to Sydney Greenstreet, the portly actor who was so memorable in "The Maltese Falcon" and "Casablanca." In "Ruthless", Greenstreet's typically sly and sardonic character becomes a truly tragic figure, allowing the actor to significantly expand his emotional onscreen range.

Cast in other key roles are Louis Hayward, Martha Vickers (of "The Big Sleep"), Lucille Bremer (the oldest sister in "Meet Me in St. Louis", a Bette Davis lookalike who appeared in only eight films), Raymond Burr, Ann Carter (the child star of "Curse of the Cat People"), and Edith Barrett (the mother in Val Lewton's "I Walked with a Zombie", and one of Vincent Price's wives) -each of these players shines. Also of interest is little known character actress Joyce Arling as Vendig's neurotic harridan of a mother: she plays her brief role skillfully, and one can't help but wonder at the cruel way the actress' acne scars are faintly highlighted in one scene. Was this by accident or, more likely, by design? Either way, it's shocking (especially in a film made in Hollywood's Golden Age when such imperfections were routinely hidden) and somehow, uncomfortable to witness.

As mentioned earlier, Olive Films' film to video transfer of this minor masterpiece is imperfect, but certainly acceptable. (I bought and screened the blu-ray.) The film has not been restored, but it is complete and uncut. There is a lot of speckling during the opening credits, and at certain times a distinctive hiss emerges on the soundtrack. The biggest flaw involves the few scenes in which the contrast seems to fade in and out; this is particularly annoying in one key sequence. Still, I have to admit that I was so absorbed in the film that these distractions seemed minor. There are no extras included on the disc. Overall, I heartily recommend "Ruthless", particularly to fans who enjoyed Ulmer's Karloff-Lugosi horror classic "The Black Cat" (1934) and his cult film noir "Detour" (1946). This one's definitely a gem.

The movie: *****

The print: ***

ONE OF EDGAR ULMER BETTER FILM AND HIS FILM DISCUSSING THE POWER OF GREED AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. GOOD WORK BY SCOTT AND LOUIS HAYWARD AND A WELL DONE STORY WITHOUT STEPPING ON THE TOES OF CHARLES FOSTER KANE...BRAVO EDGAR

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Scott delivers a terrific performance as a perfectly selfish man, willing to hurt anyone who gets in his way. Diana Lynn has a dual role and Louis Hayward, Lucille Bremer and Sydney Greenstreet will surprise you with their right-on performances. I never expected to see such a classy film noir from Edgar G; Ulmer after the classic DETOUR, but here it is! Excellent settings and performances in an A-film noir.

Dr. Ron Schwartz, Manhattan

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Very good. Portrait of a truely ruthless man and how he got the way he was.

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A Star Is Born (Blu-ray Book Packaging) (2010)

Many films have a convoluted history, but few so much as A STAR IS BORN. The basic story of a famous Hollywood alcoholic who promotes the career of an unknown--only to see her star rise as his falls--was based on the lives of a number of silent-era figures and first filmed in 1932 as WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD? After a number of plot changes, the story reemerged in 1937 as A STAR IS BORN starring Janet Gaynor and Frederic March. Then, in the 1940s, A STAR IS BORN was recycled into a radio play--and the leading lady was Judy Garland.

Garland's private life was difficult, and in 1950 she made a highly publicized suicide attempt. When she proved unable to recover herself quickly, she was fired by MGM amid much negative publicity, and it was assumed her career was over. But within a few years Garland reemerged as a powerful concert performer, and momentum began to build toward a screen comeback. Garland, who recalled her radio presentation with fondness, suggested A STAR IS BORN.

The production was plagued with problems. A number of leading actors turned down the male lead before James Mason accepted. A considerable portion of the film was shot when Warner Brothers decided to present it in Cinemascope, and this entailed scrapping all previous footage reshooting from scratch. Garland herself proved typically highstrung, and her temperament led to numerous delays. The budget ran out of control, and by the time A STAR IS BORN arrived on the screen it had become the single most expensive film made up to that time.

The film's opening seemed to justify all the difficulty and expense. Critics were positive and the public was eager. But Warner Brothers remained concerned about the film's length--and although director George Cukor offered to recut the film gratis, the studio hacked it apart. It was soon apparent that critics and audiences alike were considerably less enthusiastic about the edited version, and the film ended its theatrical release with a whimper.

During the decades that followed the film gained a reputation as a mutilated masterpiece. A lackluster 1970s remake fueled interest in a restoration, but the missing footage could not be relocated. In 1983, however, the full, unedited soundtrack and many of the missing scenes were rediscovered. In working with the film, conservators pioneered the use of still photography to fill in the still-missing scenes, a technique that would be used to restore such classics as GREED, METROPOLIS, and LOST HORIZON. And upon release, A STAR IS BORN was once again hailed as a masterpiece.

Stylistically, A STAR IS BORN is an aggressive film filled with bright colors, bombastic music, and larger than life performances. As such, it seems typical of "blockbuster" films of the 1950s and 1960s. But A STAR IS BORN uses this "bigness" to a considerably different end than its counterparts: rather than containing garish display for its own sake, it contains it for thematic purpose.

The theme developed by writer Moss Hart and director Cukor (who considered this his masterpiece) is one of the various levels of artificiality intrinsic to show business, and differences between degrees of artificiality are carefully drawn in scene after scene. The audience enjoys a show--never knowing that the star is blind drunk. The set crew prepares to film an upbeat musical number--never aware that the leading lady is having hysterics in her dressing room. A wife watches a private screening of a film--not realizing that her husband is being quietly fired in an adjoining room.

The performances that drive A STAR IS BORN are perfectly in line with the film's juxtaposition of reality and artifice. Garland offers a justly famous bravado performance in broad strokes and with an undercurrent of artifice that becomes increasingly noticeable as the film builds, underscoring her gradual immersion in and consumption by the film industry. Mason, in equally brilliant fashion, contrasts her with a performance that becomes painfully realistic as the film progresses. The dissonance created is quite startling: it is easy to see why the two characters attract each other, but it is also easy to forecast how they will self-destruct.

Although musical numbers abound, A STAR IS BORN is not typical of the genre, for the music does not form the primary structure of the film. Still, like most other elements in the film, the songs feed into the film's themes--and always in the most ironic way possible. Near the film's conclusion, Maine ask Vicki to sing for him while he, unbeknownst to her, prepares for suicide. The song she sings is "A New World." And indeed after Maine's death it will be all of that, a world in which unreality will go unchecked and Vicki will win applause by introducing herself as "Mrs. Norman Maine," turning her private grief into box office salvation.

A STAR IS BORN is profoundly bitter film that for all its brashness operates in a remarkably subtle way to make a very dark statement about Hollywood fame: the entertainment we enjoy on screen is an illusion with a price, and that price is a confusion of reality and fantasy played out with stakes of life and death. The DVD offers the film in its restored state, in Cinemascope, and with television broadcast footage of the Los Angeles premiere. If you're serious about film, this is a must-own, must-see.

--GFT (Amazon.com Reviewer)--

The film A STAR IS BORN, the 1954 Judy Garland musical for Warner Bros., has been through nearly as many trials and tribulations as any real-life movie-star wannabe to maintain its reputation and realism. The director--George Cukor's--love/hate letter to the joys and sorrows of Hollywood stardom came in just over three hours long--181 minutes. In an ironic affirmation of the film's recognition that "the lush days are over" for Hollywood, the studio cut the actual release print down to 154 minutes so that theater owners could squeeze in one extra screening per evening. That is the only version we had between 1954 and 1983, and any revivals, cinematheque offerings or TV broadcasts--quite enough to sustain the cult of the movie and Judy Garland's bravura performance as a Hollywood star married to an alcoholic has-been--sprang from that truncated release.

In 1983, a partially restored, 170-minute-long version of A STAR IS BORN hit first-run movie screens after long and loving archival and editorial struggle. It was a matter of using anything available to make up for the scenes Warner Bros. had hacked out--stills, amateur home movies made from the set, audio tracks--anything. Most significantly, the restoration reinstituted the entire portion of the movie which appear in the DVD as all of Chapters 14, 15 and 16 in which Garland's character takes a long-shot chance at an acting career; but although that enhanced plot-line was reintegrated into the movie, the static and museum-like restoration was in many ways more admirable than lovable. Still, it gets across the idea that Judy Garland's character--singer Esther Blodgett--faced her own trials and tribulations on the way to becoming "Vicki Lester" the film star.

The current 1999 DVD goes the 1983 theatrical release two better: it incorporates even more material previously thought lost--in particular audio--and the newer computer technology was used for a thorough digital "scrub" of the already handsome restoration. Previous reviewers are right: the restored sequences can still be a bit off-putting, but the DVD now for sale at 176 minutes is a noticeable improvement over the 1983 release and probably the closest we'll ever get to Cukor's original masterpiece. Is the color perfect? No, 1954 Technicolor was still garish and candy-colored; interestingly, the scenes filmed outdoors at night come across as more realistic than some of the interiors, and the character's facial tones look more realistic. Is the sound perfect? It's a good 5.1 multitrack engineering that sounded good on my budget-level home theater, and it certainly holds better aural technology than was available in 1950s movie houses.

A STAR IS BORN is very much a movie about movies, a "backstage" musical something like CABARET where the singing and dancing occur as staged performances or otherwise make sense as something the screen characters would naturally do. (As opposed to the more impressionistic, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN type of movie where characters break character and burst into song artificially.) Judy belts Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin's unforgettable "The Man That Got Away" in an after-hours club, an impromptu performance later described by eavesdropping leading man Norman Maine (James Mason) as "singing just for yourself and 'the boys in the band.'" (And with those last five words, a play was born.)

The performance-within-a-performance element that any backstage music requires come from two indelible production numbers from Vicki Lester's films. "Born in a Trunk" is by far the better known but the restoration added the endearing "Lose That Long Face," in which another unsinkable Vicki character sings a message of undying optimism as she tap-dances and flat-foots through studio-set rainy streets (Hmm, wonder where they got that idea?)

But most of Garland's performances are in more intimate venues. After rising starlet Vicki Lester becomes Mrs. Norman Maine, her husband puts her to use as "my own little jukebox" as she sings hit songs from her movies. In a particularly charming sequence, Garland's character plays homage to--and gently spoofs--the Fifties penchant for grandiose fantasy production numbers by acting out the round-the-world extravaganza ("Somewhere There's) A Someone At Last" to a background record, using what's available in the living room to mimic props and delighting the sophisticated Mason. The message is clear: it's the star, not the production values, that matter most.

Indeed, Judy Garland IS the star who makes this movie; her fictional Vicki Lester comes alive when fused with elements of Garland's own poignant and turbulent life as an all-too-visible film personality. In this movie her performances--as actor and song stylist--were never better; volumes of praise have been written to which I happily agree. But those who surround "Vicki Lester" are a key component of the film's success, too: James Mason's "Norman Maine" confronts his wife's tendency to overdramatize with a subtle performance as the self-deprecating, self-loathing alcoholic who increasingly becomes the object of his wife's charity. Jack Carson the perennial WB "heavy" of the postwar years (recall him from "Mildred Pierce" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof") is in full force as Matt Libby, the gladhanding and cynical studio publicist. Charles Bickford, perhaps best remembered today as father to Lee Remick's character in "The Days of Wine and Roses," adds humanity to the thankless role of the authoritarian film-studio owner Oliver Niles. And Tom Noonan is perfect as the buddy to impart real-life wisdom to "Mrs. Norman Maine."

People who love Judy Garland certainly should go for this improved and more watchable classic, even if they already have a prior version at home. I think lovers of musicals in general will agree that A STAR IS BORN deserves a place among the tip-top musicals of the 1950s, whether or not they are satisfied with the cardboardish ersatz for Chapters 14-16. Just hop over those with your DVD remote and find out what Warner Bros. left after its butchering! A great film at a great price; go for it.

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Judy Garland, arguably the greatest female pop singer of the Twentieth Century, gives the performance of a lifetime in this 1954 musical remake of the 1937 dramatic film of the same name (also available on DVD in a superb transfer). This movie was perceived as Garland's comeback vehicle since she had not made a film for four years prior and she certainly delivers the goods both dramatically and vocally. Her singing here is in total service of the music rather than the audience, with none of the over the top indulgences evident in her stage appearances. The end result is mesmerizing. Garland's standout rendition of "The Man That Got Away" deserves special mention since it fully lives up to its hype as one of the greatest vocal performances of all time.

James Mason matches Garland every step of the way and in some areas surpasses her in the role of her alcoholic husband whose star is waning as hers is rising. In fact, the entire cast, including Charles Bickford, Jack Carson and Tommy Noonan give excellent performances. Director George Cukor seems to have known just when to reign in Garland and exactly when to let her go and do what she does best. This is especially evident in the "Born In A Trunk" musical number. Cukor also shows a flair for getting the best out of the then new wide screen CinemaScope process. His framing of the scenes has an intimacy appropriate to the story but seems revolutionary for a wide screen picture even today. This DVD showcases the original 2.55: 1 aspect ratio in which A Star Is Born was shown for its initial theatrical presentation and a newly mixed soundtrack preserves the discrete multi-channel stereophonic sound as well. In fact, this DVD looks and sounds phenomenally good considering that this movie will be 50 years old in about 4 years.

Worth the price of the disc alone is the treasure trove of supplementary material, which includes vintage newsreels, a kinescope of live TV coverage of the Hollywood premiere and no less than four alternate takes of "The Man That Got Away."

Judy Garland never was able to equal or top her work on A Star Is Born. On the other hand, no one else has or could either because she was a one of a kind entertainer that only comes around perhaps once in a millennium.

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ENHANCED CONTENT

A Star is Born (1954) 2-Disc Deluxe Special Edition DVD Enhanced Content:

Introduction: Run time 3:01

The Man That Got Away Pink Dress: Run time 5:11 Additional Take

The Man that Got Away Brown Dress #1: Run time 4:49 Additional Take

The Man that Got Away Brown Dress #2: Run time 4:24 Additional Take

The Man that Got Away Brown Dress #3: Run time 4:00 Additional Take

The Man That Got Away Brown Dress #4: Run time 4:00 Additional Take

Here's What I'm here For Alternate Take: Run time 2:36 Additional Take

Lose That Long Face Alternate Take: Run time 4:55 Additional Take

Trinidad Coconut Oil Shampoo Alternate Take: Run time 1:24 Additional Take

When My Sugar Walks Down the Street Outtake: Run time 0:58 Additional Take

Suicide Scene Alternate Take: Run time 2:15 Additional Take

Film Effects Reel: Run time 0:54

A Report by Jack L. Warner: Run time 6:24 Vintage Featurette

Huge Premiere Hails 'A Star is Born' Newsreel Montage: Run time 7:49 Vintage Featurette

'A Star is Born' Premiere in Cinemascope: Run time 2:05

Pantages Premiere TV Special: Run time 29:30 Vintage Featurette

A Star is Bored (1956 WB Cartoon): Run time 7:00

A Star is Born (1937): Run time 2:46 Trailer

A Star is Born (1954): Run time 3:52 Trailer

A Star is Born (1976): Run time 3:46 Trailer

Audio Vault Oliver on the Phone with the Director Discussing Norman Outtakes: Run time 2:00 Audio Only

Audio Vault Norman and Esther on the Roof of the Hotel Lancaster Outtakes: Run time 2:00 Audio Only

Audio Vault 12/28/1942 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast with Judy Garland and Walter Pidgeon: Run time 60:00 Audio Only

Audio Vault Judy Garland Radio Interview: Run time 4:00 Audio Only

Audio Vault Born in a Trunk: Run time 9:05 Audio Only

Audio Vault Someone At Last Rehearsal: Run time 10:34 Audio Only

Audio Vault Someone At Last: Run time 7:16 Audio Only

Audio Vault My Melancholy Baby: Run time 7:06 Audio Only

Audio Vault Black Bottom: Run time 1:48 Audio Only

Audio Vault Swanee: Run time 4:57 Audio Only

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I have neither a Blu-ray player nor an HD TV so there was no reason to get the Blu-ray of this release. On my standard def TV the image is not as sharp and crisp as other recent Warner restorations such as My Fair Lady and Wizard of Oz. But, I've learned through some research that this is because ASIB was filmed in single-strip Technicolor and it is impossible to sharpen the image. Actually the print does look a bit cleaner than the old VHS version of the reconstructed film. Just don't expect sharpness throughout. The musical numbers look the best.

Remember that almost 30 minutes of the film was cut after its theatrical release and it was through the efforts of Ron Haver who, in 1984, was able to find stills to fill in where soundtrack sections were located. That is what this version is and it really fleshes out the story. (And a great story it is!). And it is wide screen, not pan and scan.

What makes this version "deluxe" is the additional two hours of new supplemental material. These are all on the second disc which is NOT Blu-ray even in the Blu-ray set. Two hours are the same material as on the last release. The new material includes additional versions of some songs with different costumes and a lot of audio-only bonuses. The disc containing the feature film is double sided with half on each side.

You can see all the details of the bonuses in another "review" which copied the info from the press release.

As far as acting goes, James Mason is amazing and perfect for the part. Garland sings her heart out and this is, of course, a must for Judy fans... many of who can quote her lines from the film from memory.

Some day I'm sure Warner will issue the "Ultimate Edition" of ASIB but, sadly this is the best it is going to look on your TV. This is why film preservation is so important!

If you've not seen this film, or haven't seen it in years, watch it.. It will draw you in and show you why Garland and Mason were stars. This is a true Hollywood classic.

Steve Ramm

"Anything Phonographic"

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Trailer Park Boys: Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys

While not the best storyline, I still loved this special. If you have never seen TPB before I would not recomend this as the first one to see, start with season one. If you are a TPB fan and love some drunk Lahey then you'll love this special.

I'm a huge fan of the TPB's and I purchased this video to complete my collection which would be my suggestion to anyone considering purchasing it. It's 47 minutes that feel twice as long and really drawn out. It just seems like the story never comes together on this video and everything is overshadowed by 45 minutes of drunk, loud and incomprehensible Jim Lahey. It's not a horrible video, just not one of their best.

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Very funny show. Ending was not what I thought it would be, but still enjoyed it. Bring back the Trailer Park Boys!! We need more comedy shows like them !!!

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I'm hearing a bit of negetivity here about Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys. I found it to simply be a continuation of a great series of TV shows and movies. It WAS just "more of the same".....but I think that's exactlly what TPB fans want. That's what I want. I'll keep watching whatever they come out with as long as they stick to the proven formula. Yeah, it would have been nice if it were twice as long. But I'll take anything I can get from Treblay and Wells. Leheay's last few lines in this movie definitly indicate that there will be more to come in the future.....damn, I hope so. And for *&%$ sake.....find a way to get Corey and Trevor back into the mix. Losing them was the ONLY mistake they made in this series.

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The first 5, maybe 6 seasons of TPB are hilarious. The movies are also really good. Season 6 and 7 started to go down a little I thought. This show takes place after season 7 and is even a little less funny than season 7 was. It's still pretty good, but just not as real-feeling as the first few seasons were. If you're a hardcore TPB fan like me, though, you will still need to get it.

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Hitman (+ Digital Copy) (2007)

I didn't expect to be impressed with this movie because in my mind it was simply another flick made from a video game but man, I was blown away! In fact it was so enjoyable that ten minutes after finishing it I wanted to see it again, and that rarely happens. Never mind the few geographical errors, this movie is all action and there is no waste of precious minutes on mindless love scenes the one actually has one cut short by the main hero and it was humorous, how he was all business, him being this monk killer for hire who lives a chaste life. In a way it was like a James Bond character who actually didn't try to bed all the babes, impressive. And Timothy Olyphant was flawless, even thought I prefer men with longer hair he looked cool and totally acted the part, mysterious, brooding but with a heart in there somewhere.

Bald and serious, dressed in an expensive suit, red silk tie and an impeccably crisp white shirt the Hitman is a force to be reckoned with. He's not too emotional but rather straightforward with a little bit of a charm threw in as he works his meticulously planned hits until one day everything changes. In a very short time the predator turns into juicy prey and he must use all of his killer skills to catch the bad guys. Trouble is finding out who the bad guys are, I liked watching this movie without knowing anything about it, but I will just say it involved the Russian secret police and the Interpol chasing the Hitman while someone from the inside of his secret agency was trying to put him in the harm's way. The twists and turns, betrayals laced with action and ferocious weaponry all in one were a feast for the mind and eyes.

This movie was like a day at the beach, the bullets spraying the sky like the morning surf hitting the warm sand. Action galore and clever fights using all sorts of guns and ammo , hand combat and even a sword scene all mashed beautifully, it is all art, a ballet almost , full of grace with deadly intentions, I loved it and can't say enough good things about it.

Kasia S.

I really enjoyed this movie....I mean what is there not to like. You have a hitman (the sexy #47) who has been trained from childhood to be the best at what he does. Trained to hold his breath, shoot anything that moves from any distance, armed with sexy weapons and a barcode (tattooed beautifully in his scalp), along with an air of calm (that would make anyone scared who he faces), he is the perfect killing machine and running for his life. Determined to protect Nika, a prostitute to the President of Russia, from who else (her lover), #47 goes about the task of fighting the bad guys and righting what he thinks are wrongs. With a Interpol Cop on his heels, he attempts to uncover the truth about why someone he thought he killed wants him dead and what the whole thing is about. I enjoyed this movie...with its cool fight scenes and nice special effects. It was definitely worth renting on a Sunday afternoon.

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I had heard a lot of bad things and bad reviews about this movie. I was suprised when I watched it that it was as good as it was. I thought Timothy Olyphant did a good job and that the girl who played his love interest was also good and HOT. The guy that plays T-Bag on the TV show Prison Break was also good. I have never played this game but I thought the story was pretty solid. It kind of reminded me of The Bourne Identity as he is a trained super assassin from a place that churns them out and he has flash backs of good and bad things.

Anyway, the action rocked and it was exciting and entertaining beginning to end. It was pretty good and fun to watch.

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Yet another game to movie adaptation, but this one has a major difference. It's actually pretty damn cool.

Timothy Olyphant fits perfectly into the role of Agent 47, an orphan who is taken in and trained by an agency that trains children to be the most stealthy and deadly hitmen in the world. Agent 47 is the best of the best of all the Hitmen raised and trained by "The Organization." He is called in to perform on a hit on the Russian President Mikhail Belicoff, however the hit is a setup and 47 finds himself on the run from Interpol & The Russian Secret Police.

While on the run, 47 endeavours to get revenge and find the truth about who set him up and why. This unravels a tangled web of lies and deceipt as one by one he kills those who have done him wrong, including those who are also members of "The Organisation."

During his streak he comes across an unlikely companion in Nika Boronina who we come to see gives 47 emotions and feelings that he's never encountered before.

This is a really good movie and something that at times keeps so close to the game that you come to think this is a game in itself. Timothy Olyphant plays 47 incredibly and although 47 is conventionally an emotionless character but within the movie we are given emotion that is being held back. That may be a bit of an oxymoron but the way in which Olyphant portrays it is amazing as it's a character that has all this emotion built up inside but is trying to hold it back.

The action, dialogue and cinematography of this film I found to be incredibly intelligent. It has moments in it that you can identify to the game and there's one point in particular which the game itself is given a nod. 47 breaks through the window of a hotel room and it cuts to a vision of kids playing the video game hitman.

Overall this was a very, very good film which I have to admit I didn't really have high hopes for in the beginning. I am glad to say my preconceptions were changed within the first 5 minutes into the movie and I am sure to watch it again.

You should check it out whether you're a fan of the game or not, it's still a pretty special piece.

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Hitman was an enjoyable movie with references throughout towards to the video game series on which it is based on. They picked a good one (Timothy Olyphant-Scream 2, Live Free or Die Hard) to play the title character and he does so with style but also a fierceness as well. He dispatches any and all that come his way or end up and his already dead marks. From hand to hand combat, guns, sword fights with others like him from the Organization that trained, fed, clothed and made them into the powerful yet deadly freelance agents they are.

It is touched on his background with the organization but hope it might be expanded on in a future movie. Entertaining, action packed and loaded with violence add a little bit of storyline and you have a fun and far more entertaining movie than i thought it could be. Usually i'm not too hyped over video games made into movies, but Hitman isn't like that at all.

Very enjoyable.

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Company Men (2010)

This film seems to be getting mixed reviews at best. It wasn't even released nationwide, or at least not at a theater near me, and very little promotion was given to it. I think that's a shame because it's an enjoyable film that actually explores not just the recent economy and downsizing in Corporate America but the North American situation (obsession with property, possessions and passing pleasures rather than true happiness). That said, I understand that films involving the recent economy haven't done well and I can see why many people wouldn't be eager to get out only to sit in a theater and watch what can be seen as a very depressing story that has a lot of truth to it.

Outside of that fact I still say this is a good film if not entirely great. Ben Affleck is well cast and likable as a man who has it all until his company is hurt by the economy and he finds himself included in the list of recent layoffs, the last thing he expected given his position at the company. He is eager to find a new job and believes he'll have no problem given his credentials but he soon finds the only positions he can attain are those that he considers beneath him. Soon his termination package runs out and he and his wife (excellently played by Rosemarie Dewitt) have to face some realities about their nice house and many possessions including a beautiful sports car. Dewitt and Affleck do a great job of playing a couple under a lot of stress who still clearly love each other.

The film isn't as depressing as it sounds based on that synopsis, from there Ben Affleck's character slowly realizes that when all else fades family remains constant and his parents and brother in law (Kevin Costner) help him make it through to the other side.

While this goes on Tommy Lee Jones plays a higher business executive at the same company who is very upset with the way the company is being run. When he is eventually let go despite suggestions that could help the company he finds himself dissatisfied with his life and looking to find new meaning. Craig T. Nelson plays the head of the company who causes more issues by taking jobs out of the industrial end of the company to keep investors happy. Chris Cooper does an excellent job playing a man in the same position as Affleck only with much less fortunate results when he doesn't have the same support group (truly the most tragic aspect of the film).

Economy films are a lot like films about the Iraq war, not many want to hear anymore about these issues with the media already bombarding us. However, I would say this isn't so much an economy film as it is a film about a very specific aspect of the current human condition that just happens to use the recent economy issues as a starting point (much like how The Hurt Locker wasn't specifically about Iraq).

To me the film wasn't as depressing as others are painting it to be because the message wasn't about how bad things can get, it was about how good we can make things. Everything is a choice, if we stop becoming obsessed with things we have no control over in hopes of stability, if we stop building things up and acting as if they can never fall down, if we accept that nothing is permanent other than the happiness we give ourselves then we might move past all this and be in a better place, a place that can't be taken away from us.

The ending keeps it from being a truly great film, leaving things wrapped up almost too neatly too suddenly despite attempting to be openended and leaving Affleck's character with a mountain to climb. Still, if you liked last year's Up In The Air you'll enjoy this and if your interested in how business's wind up in trouble or if you like films that show the strength of family then this may be for you, give it a try. I hope this film finds a larger audience on Blu-Ray and DVD, I will certainly be adding it to my collection for repeat viewings.

* I hope this release has a director's commentary.

This is a film that oozes with realism and timeliness. The GTX corporation, headed by an overpaid, callous CEO (Craig T. Nelson)--who cares only about the stockholders, a new corporate headquarters, and his salary and stock options--cuts divisions and lays off thousands of workers--some of whom have been with him and the firm for decades. It's not that they aren't hardworking and dedicated, it's just "business."

One of the men who is laid off is in his thirties (Ben Affleck); the other is twenty years older (Chris Cooper). Another (Tommy Lee Jones) roomed in college with the CEO and helped him build the company from the ground up, concentrating on shipbuilding in the Boston area. All three men live lavishly, with fancy houses, furnishings, and cars.

Affleck is great as the proud, bitter, and then humbled white-collar executive, who has to sell his million-dollar home (in the depressed housing market) and Porsche, and then move in with his parents and work for his brother-in-law (played nicely by Kevin Costner) constructing someone else's mega-house. Cooper is also good--downtrodden and desperate, forced to dye his hair, and grovel at job interviews and with associates. And Jones is wonderful--a man with a conscience in the business world, who cares about the people who work at GTX. He also starts to reevaluate his life, both professionally and personally, in middle age.

The film--written and directed by John Wells--hits home. Most of us know people like the ones we see in The Company Men. They can be vain, pushy, and full of themselves; but when things don't go their way, they can be depressed and helpless. Yes, people need to make a living, but they also need to think about what's really important--family, friends, and self-fulfillment. This is a film that makes you think about these things.

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"The Company Men" is a sober telling of life within a modern company. Men come to be defined by their jobs and when the job is taken away from them, they are lost. Their world as they understand it simply collapses.

At a high level, "The Company Men" covers the lives of several executives of the ship building division of GTX Corporation, an American conglomerate. Profitability and growth seems to be eluding the division and the only response of management is downsizing and, when this fails, more downsizing. Each man is thrown into a whirlpool. Their lives of debt and over-consumption come to a screeching halt. If there is one message from this film it is that too many people assume that things won't change. Too little attention is paid to saving for a rainy day. Consumption is king.

There are excellent performances by Tommy Lee Jones and Ben Affleck. Both end up being "let go" and both struggle with the consequences. However, eventually, reality must be faced. This is not an easy row to hoe. In the case of Ben Affleck's character, his life style is forced to undergo big changes. His house is sold, his family moves back to living with his parents, his wife gets a part time job and he takes a job of manual labour from his brother in law.

Without spoiling the plot, there is a somewhat happier ending. However, in the meantime, the film gives an excellent portrayal of so much of modern corporate life. It's a dog eat dog world out there. Just remember that change can be forced on anyone.

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Mild "spoilers" contained herein:

A decent, well-paced but largely predictable movie showing what a few "downsized" employees at a large corporation go through when the rug is yanked from under them. Unless you were living in a convent for the last 3 years, none of what you see here will be particularly surprising. The makers of the film dutifully present the greedy heartless CEO (Craig T. Nelson), the hot-shot MBA (Ben Affleck), the blue collar heart-of-gold guy (Kevin Costner), the overlooked company lifer (Chris Cooper), and so on. All the actors do a great job, including the always-good Tommy Lee Jones as the disillusioned philandering millionaire, but there's not really a tremendous amount of meat on the bones of this movie. The actors are attempting to give life to thinly-drawn caricatures distilled from the headlines.

In the end, I don't really care too much about anybody, partly because their troubles are not my own (I've got it worse than everyone shown in the movie), but largely because so many character development questions are left unanswered:

Chris Cooper's character is 60: why is losing his job so devastating? How long did he plan to work? Wouldn't he be close to retirement with some money saved up?

Ben Affleck's character is devastated to lose his Porsche and his country club membership. Why? In his parents' house again after selling his house, he tells his wife "I couldn't wait to get out of here. I was gonna be a CEO." That's it? That's all you got? His parents seem like nice folks. Where's the motivation? Why should we care about this corporate wanker?

It's hard not to be sympathetic with any character Tommy Lee Jones plays, but he stands idly by for most of the movie as the company he helped build is taken away from him, and as people he cares about gets fired, and as he himself gets fired, as he has an affair with the H.R. department chick, walks out on his wife, he sits on a giant pile of money and doesn't help anyone... what happens at the end doesn't redeem him, especially considering the speech he gives to Affleck about loving hotel suites and expensive meals.

Craig T. Nelson's CEO is one-dimensional... it could have been interesting to get under his skin, but the movie didn't have time for him.

And really: do they HAVE to show the passage of time through the cliched use of holidays? Halloween, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas trees, working on New Year's Eve, Easter egg hunts are all shown.... the only thing missing is the last scene happening on 4th of July.

And so on.

Rosemarie Dewitt gives a good performance as Affleck's wife, and Maria Bello does the best she can with the H.R. character.

Comparisons are being made to "Up in the Air", however, "The Company Men" is more relentlessly bleak and conventional, and has far less snappy dialogue. Affleck's excellent kiss-off to one potential employer, and a couple of exchanges at the employment agency are the only thing bordering on funny.

As a distillation of the business headlines from 2008-2010 and how it plays out in a few lives, this is a very good film, and probably all it aspired to be. As a compelling, moving work of cinema... not so much. 3-1/2 stars.

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THE COMPANY MEN (2010, but not released until 2011, 105 minutes, do not confuse with the other comedy Company Man [HD], see my review or with Company Man [HD]) is probably one of the most important movies of this era. In the near future I wager it will be considered a downright unequalled classic. I cannot say I feel that way about it now ... but it has a vital symbolism that I would not have wanted to miss. What attracts my curiosity is why this film seems to have been buried and ignored.

Corporate monster GTX, based in Gloucester, Massachusetts and responsible for the rape of New England, is downsizing suddenly and savagely. The depression we keep pretending is a recession is hitting hard and fast. Ben Affleck, who does not deserve the top billing or any special attention yet receives it, portrays the young sales manager who is fired. In a way, we see this mostly through his eyes as he descends the levels of the Hell of Job Loss.

Tommy Lee Jones and Craig T. Nelson portray the corporate bigwigs of GTX, though Nelson is the soulless owner while Jones is just his 'partner' going back to the company's beginnings. Jones worries like an old lady about the employees being fired while Nelson laughs. Soon Jones is fired, along with Chris Cooper, who symbolizes the too-old-to-hire, out-of-work corporate 'wise man'. It is only Cooper's character who meets his appointment with death by his own hand, and I can't say I liked that but I knew someone had to commit suicide in this.

In a way, this film treats with a world I know not. It is not familiar to me, nor is it understandable. I know such men as "corporate monsters" or the less offensive "bigwigs", "stiff suits" and my own term "executroids". Tommy Lee Jones' character admits who he is: "Hell I like $500 lunches and $5,000 hotel suites!", and this after he's been fired and is a bit hopeless.

Guess that is the real 'enterprising spirit'. That is the world I will never, ever understand. My father always always said, "We're all the same, and everyone's just trying to make a living." So I tried to look at it like that and I have my father to thank for my being able to appreciate this film in full. Before thinking of Pop's wise observation, all I could see was the leering, nasty faces of Craig T. Nelson on one side and Ben Affleck on the other.

There is lots to see and hear in this film. While I felt a kind of sad disgust with it at first, I warmed to its importance. This film speaks loudly to anyone, everyone, who has ever struggled on the way up, lost a job or is floundering in a jobless economy. A special appearance by Kevin Costner as Affleck's brother-in-law symbolizes hard-working labor. As owner of a mid-level construction company, he takes pity on Affleck and hires him. What I really liked here is Costner's job is to build modest homes.

The shots are crabbed and claustrophobic yet lovely and meaningful: the multi-million dollar houses representing the mortgage crisis ('McMansions'), with FOR-SALE signs in the front yards. The shots of certain desolate parts of Gloucester, including the dead, boatless harbor. This has meaning since Jones' character began as a shipwright as did Cooper.

In fact the character with the least meaning (for me, anyhow) is Affleck; he represents the resentful, young hard worker who fought his way out of a working-class neighborhood he despised, and really believed he was better than everyone else. Sad.

As my father might have asked, who is responsible for what? Who cheated the worker out of his work, who slammed all the doors then laughed all the way to the bank? I say Affleck more than Nelson represents that evil glibness, that corporate zombie mentality, that has cost this nation everything. In fact, Nelson seems to be Affleck-in-the-future, only Affleck learns his lessons at the construction site where he works for his brother-in-law.

In other words, he has his glibness torn from him savagely. I kept saying, "Good." There was no way I would ever feel sorry for Affleck's character.

Get this and watch it at least twice. Aside from possibly catching all the stupidly mumbled dialogue which you'll surely miss on the 1st viewing, you'll catch a great deal more. Aside from Affleck's unending lack of acting talent, you will discover that every line spoken here is a lesson. This film without the "f-bombs" and the "mo-fo bombs" which can be edited out in a cinch should be shown in schools.

Craig T. Nelson to a fired Tommy Lee Jones: "My shares are worth $600 million. How much are yours worth?"

And I thought, THAT is a profound and challenging question to America. Watch this great film (in spite of Affleck, whom I always jokingly call "Ben Affect" as in "lack of affect"). Find out just what Jones' "shares" are worth. From this, America just might relearn who and what it really is.

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Fantasia (1940)

The quality and presentation of this restored version of FANTASIA is wonderful. Finally restored, unseen since the initial release, are the complete introductory sequences, including a chimes player's accident with his instrument, the orchestra applauding Mickey Mouse, and the orchestra shuffling out for the intermission. Even the original title card has been returned to its proper place, during the intermission. (Some of the narration was rerecorded due to original voice tracks being no longer available.)

But there is CONSIDERABLE CONTROVERSY over the continued censorship of the "Pastorale" sequence. Circa 1969, the seemingly racist shots of a black centaurette (similar to Our Gang's "Buckwheat") attending on the white centaurettes were cut from the film, resulting in a "jump" in the music. Allegedly, the 1980 release's newly recorded music soundtrack covered up the clumsy edit, so that the remaining choreography was in sync. Subsequent releases to video have used optical tricks to remove the appearance of black centaurs, so that the original music track scans properly.

In this "restored" version, these optical edits are still glaringly obvious. (E.g., an optical zoom to avoid the black centaurette shows you the film grain up close, in another shot, a green bush magically slides across the ground by itself!)

The film survives as a masterpiece of filmic art, and this presentation of a "politically correct, original version" (my description) is tempting. But Disney does this release, and all customers and fans, a disservice by inappropriately calling it a "restored" and "uncut" version, when in fact it is NOT the version that was seen in the 1940 road shows.

Let your buying conscience be your guide, but consider the significance of buying an "original, restored" version that is neither, and perpetuates revisionist cuts as if they never happened.

Don't get me wrong -this film is fantastic, and by itself it rates 5 stars. But this DVD edition is not all its cracked up to be.

First, there's the editing in the Pastoral Symphony, as noted by other reviewers. This is nothing new -that editing was originally done back in the 60s -but it makes for some very grainy frames in an otherwise beautiful print.

Then there's the re-dubbing of Deems Taylor's parts. As I understand it, this was necessary because the original soundtrack was missing for parts of the extended interstitials. However, I can't believe that they couldn't find a better voice match for Taylor, given the wealth of voice talent in Hollywood these days. If you're used to the original, the difference is kind of jarring.

My biggest gripe, though, is the apparent re-mixing of the music. The original soundtrack was full-on surround sound (what Disney called Fantasound) that had the music literally surrounding the viewer, often sweeping about the room to follow movement on the screen. The 1990 theatrical and video releases contained this Fantasound mix, but the DVD seems re-mixed as a static symphony recording, with the rear channels carrying only reverb. The sound is a bit cleaner than the last go-round, but it's far less dramatic. And the differences are noticable even in plain stereo.

All of these things add up to considerably less than a faithful rendering of this film. The editing is understandable since racial stereotypes are unacceptable these days, but the rest is a shame, and hard to understand in view of Disney's usual attention to detail.

As I noted, the film itself is well worth seeing, and aside of the editing, it has never looked better. But the original laserdisc/VHS release is far more interesting.

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It was great to see all of the narration put back into the film, but this so called "Uncut" edition, is not what is seems. Being a life-long fan and collector of "Fantasia" items, I was shocked to see (or not to see), the small black centaurette pyganinnies, totally removed from the film in the "Pastoral Symphony". Disney's "pan & scan" techinque in one sequence chopped them out and when Bacchus is ushered up the stairs, they have been totally wiped out of the segment (the carpet now rolls itself up to the throne...ah,Disney magic). I have many of the above mentioned sequences on video and was really hoping that they would find their way back into the DVD "uncut version". I realize that in this age of 'racial discrimination" that certain things can't be shown or referred to, but give me a break, "Fantasia" is art and should not have been censored, besides, these are mythical creatures. Also,......I remember Demms Taylor as having a different voice, the one in the DVD really does not sound like him at all. Anyway these are my thoughts. Having waited so long for the "uncut version", I feel very let down.

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I loved Fantasia when I was a kid, and it was now time to share it with my grandchildren. I was satisfied with the price, quality and availability of this product, but, when my daughter first inserted the DVD into the player, she was disconcerted to find that the language of the speaker and the settings was Korean. She's a clever woman and she managed to fiddle with the controls to find how to switch both the spoken and subtitled portions to English, but there was no indication in the ad on Amazon that this would be necessary, and no instructions accompanying the item as to how to adjust the settings for language.

Great show, but I think that the marketing was unclear at the least, and possibly misleading. I am disappointed in the seller, whose response to my emailed comments was unsatisfactory to me.

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As a child, I grew up watching the "almost original" VHS copy of my favorite Disney film of all-time.

Since purchasing the DVD, I was thoroughly disappointed. The redubbing of Deems Taylor's dialogue was blasphemous, and I'm sure that it could be easily restored with the technology we have today. Also, another point of interest is the censored "Black Centaur" scene (talk about 'political correctness'). Hasn't anyone seen the recent "Donald Duck" and WWII cartoon shorts from the "Walt Disney Treasures" series? They can at least have someone come on before the movie to warn those who may be offended by an animated African-American caricature.

All I can say is I hope Disney will have the common sense to faithfully restore the entire "Roadshow" edition on DVD and Blu-Ray next year for their upcoming "Diamond" release in Fall 2010. Oh, I pray that the day will finally come!!!

Escape (2012)

I wasn't really sure what to anticipate from the Norwegian film "Escape." The marketing artwork, packaging and description make it seem like this might be a cheesy kid's adventure film. So I strapped in and hoped for the best. And as is often the case with relatively low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised. There isn't a whole lot of plot in this spare 80 minute film, but the action sequences were well executed and the movie held my interest throughout. The title really explains the entire film premise. It's about an escape with not much back story or explanation either before or after the event. By keeping things simple and straightforward, however, the movie succeeds in telling a concise little story. It may not be a great movie, but it is entertaining. The DVD/Blu-ray has the option of an English dubbed soundtrack, but I watched the film with subtitles. I can't, therefore, comment on the quality of the dub which is oftentimes distracting and annoying to my personal taste.

The movie is set ten years after the Black Death has decimated the population. A lone family traveling the desolate countryside is attacked by a gang of outlaws. After the bloody encounter, the teenaged daughter is taken back to the savage's camp and kept as a prisoner. She forms a tentative bond with another young girl, but her fate seems all but sealed unless she can take matters into her own hands. What must she do? She must escape, you guessed it. Never mind where she's going, she has to assert independence, courage, and ingenuity if she plans to survive this ordeal. Most of the movie has our hero on the run, and her pursuers following closely. That's about it!

The look of "Escape" is quite impressive. The scenery is spectacular and the action sequences are well done. For a low-budget endeavor, the filmmaking is quite accomplished. Young actress Isabel Christine Andreasen is believable and appealing, but it is Ingrid Bolsø Berdal who gets the film's showiest role as villainous Dagmar. I would love to have seen a movie about her character, she seems like a fascinating subject! In the end, you're not particularly connected to the fate of any of the characters but that didn't bother me. Because the movie had such a limited scope and modest ambitions, it worked just fine. I'm not particularly raving, but I enjoyed myself. Overall, about 3 1/2 stars. I'll round up for Berdal's work as Dagmar. KGHarris, 4/13.

I usually don't bother writing reviews, but I do like to leave at least some feedback when I come across that rare budget movie that actually turns out to be fairly good. Well, this is one of those diamonds in the rough even though the plot was simple. The acting was good, and the script was well written. I was pleasantly surprised :) Sorry for the simple review, but again I don't usually care to write reviews.

Cheers!

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It's not the best cinematography ever, it is a foreign language film with English subtitles. A very good story, actors were good (especially the two young lasses).

I'm surprised to find this gem hidden back on page one hundred something. It should be up front, at least ahead of "I spit on your grave" & "Godzilla vs Megagodzilla"

Hunger Games, Hanna type movie, action, drama. Dagmar is Hawtt! In a Johnny Winter sort of way.

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This is one great and awesome movie ... you WILL have to remind yourself to breath for your stomach muscles are tight for the whole part of the movie (and it hurts after a while). Awesome and INTENSE story plus superb acting. Awesome and superb video and audio quality throughout the whole movie. I just had my Pioneer Kuro elite plasma calibrated 2 weeks ago and this Bluray simply showed off its prowess.

I chose the Norwegian/Swedish version with English subtitles version since it was in high definition audio (DTS-HD MA). The English voice over version is stereo which I didn't like. Subtitles didn't bother me one bit and probably heightened the movie experience.

By all means ... this movie is extremely and highly recommended. You will NOT regret it one-bit! Excellent example of good triumphing over evil in the end ... but at a great cost indeed!!!

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Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait

This is one of the best docs about football (soccer) ever made and one of the best films detailing a man at his workplace. The filmmakers pick one of the best footballers of his generation in his last season of his career with Real Madrid. Beckham and Ronaldo makes a few cameos but make no doubt about it Zinedine Zidane is the star.

I should warn viewers that this is not a biography of Zizou's life and career but an artist's documentary that follows Zidane around the pitch (with 18 cameras) in a La Liga game at the Bernabeau against Villareal. It is an amazing portrait of a athlete at work as any film ever created.

And the ending is incredible (and no I will not give it away)

Zidane's career, since this film was made, has been clouded by his actions in the 2006 World Cup final, but make no doubt about it he was one of the greats who ever put on a pair of cleats and kicked the ball around, and this film proves it!

I was able to watch the main feature (worth every cent by the way). However, the extras will not play which is very frustrating as there is an interview with Zidane that I particularly wanted to see. Anyone else have this problem?

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This is a very well conceived re-make of an earlier film made about George Best during a Manchester United v Coventry match called "Fußball wie noch nie" (Football as Never Before) by Hellmuth Costard. In the original film only 6 or 8 cameras follow just Georgie around exclusively but still gives the viewer the ambience and the sense of the environment around the player and the match. This modern re-encarnation takes the match a little further and shows how the world can operate in conjunction with the event as well as seperately from it. Zidane as a player not only has an effect on the 90,000+ in the Santiago Bernabeu but also on fans across the world. His every word and his every move exemplifies the influence of the sport on the audience. Beyond that it's a very true and honest portrayal of the game itself, the beauty, the intricicies, the ugliness, and ultimately it's objectivity. The game exists regardless of the actors and the audience, and this movie shows exactly that premis.

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Blu-Ray arrived on schedule and was in perfect condition. I watched it that night and it was well worth it. Great service!

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This is a great movie with a wonderful soundtrack. Spike Lee tried to do a similar movie with Kobe after seeing this movie. If you like the beautiful game it is worth seeing. It explains why Zidane ruined the World Cup as well. It is a different way to watch a match and worth a view.

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)

Just so everyone knows the UK Blu-Ray Is All Region,and can be played on US players.

*This does contain minor spoilers*

Mandy Lane has apparently become the most desirable girl in high school over the summer. She's definitely not like the other girls her age though. While every guy wants to do everything imaginable to her, she's turned them all down. The only guy she really gives the time of day is her best friend, Emmet. That is until a certain incident at a pool party comes between them. Now nine months later, Mandy has distanced herself from Emmet and has a group of new friends. These friends have decided to invite Mandy to a ranch out in the middle of nowhere for a few days and the guys who tag along hope to accomplish what, up to this point, has been impossible. It turns out to not all be fun and games though. When people start turning up missing, they soon realize that they're not alone and someone is taking their obsession with Mandy Lane a little too far.

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is an interesting film, to say the least. It makes you wait a bit before the actual "horror" comes into play. In fact, the first forty minutes or so are basically filled with high school shenanigans. A bunch of kids drinking, doing drugs, having sex, and just things they're not supposed to. While the last half of the film, is pure horror. It kind of teases you at first. It gives you a little taste and then goes right back into high school mode, but after that things just start to snowball until it's just beautifully horrific in every scene.

The film is shot beautifully. For an indie film, it looks incredible. That's not to say other indie films look like garbage or anything. Mandy Lane just has vibrant colors that seem to jump off the screen. One of the things that caught my eye is the way certain scenes were shot. Unique perspectives, shots overlapping others to look like something else, the way objects in front of the camera go in and out of focus, etc. Scenes like when Bird goes to start the generator after the power goes out, Bird confronting the killer, and the car chase with Chloe being chased by the killer in her car are a few examples. It just seemed like something that was worth mentioning as you don't see too many shots, scenes, or anything in films anymore(especially horror) that you can call unique.

I think Michael Welch deserves a nod for his acting in this. It was pretty exceptional. I'd really only seen him in the Day of the Dead remake, which was awful on every level. His performance in this overshadows his performance in Day any way you look at it. His portrayal of Emmet in this in the closing moments of the film are what caught my eye. I mean, you truly believe he's psychotic. It'll definitely make me keep an eye on him with his future projects.

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane isn't your average slasher film and that's its biggest strength as it brings something fresh to the table. As I mentioned before, it takes awhile for the ball to get rolling in the horror department. If you're patient though, things do wind up paying off. If you could hold off for Wolf Creek to pick up, then I think you'll be in the clear for this. You can probably guess who the killer is within the first few minutes of the film, but the way things unfold are where the film shines. This is worth seeing for the ending alone as while it does reveal why the killer is doing what they're doing and things of that nature, it leaves a lot of things open ended. While that can either be a sink or swim kind of situation, I think it works well this time around. Mandy Lane isn't the most original horror film to come out in decades or anything, but if every horror film from now on had as much originality as this film does...then there might be hope for horror films yet.

Rating: 7/10

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It's a crime that is this film isn't available in the US. It's head and shoulders above the usual tripe in this genre. A smart, subtle take on the slasher film with well-drawn characters and excellent cinematography and direction. See it now, any way you can!

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All The Boys Love Mandy Lane is a movie with a checkered past. As legend has it, Mandy Lane was picked up by the Weinsteins and thrown on a shelf to rot. Theories abound as to why, but the presumption was that a shotgun wielding teen killer was a little too Columbine for the Weinsteins to market, schedule and release. Aside from some festival screenings Mandy Lane has never seen the light of day in the US. Thankfully here in Australia, and in the UK, Mandy suddenly arrived out of nowhere on DVD to little fanfare. Shame, Shame. This film is a rare antidote to almost every teen horror, by essentially not being a horror film at all. Maybe its an overstatement to call Mandy a drama, but she's definitely a thriller and a genuine critique of the modern teen, prone to ugliness and violence wrapped in smooth skin, blonde hair and a tan. Often these teen horrors, of which there are SO many, purport to be 'saying something' about the teen culture exhibited but actually don't and instead use the hot bods to lure in a teen audience negating the chance to make them look at themselves and possibly even consider, hey maybe I deserve to be hatched up by a slasher. Again, this is what may have made the Weinsteins cautious of Mandy, teen retribution at the end of a shotgun it is a terrifyingly REAL scenario. And here in lays a contradiction about Mandy Lane you can see the ending coming a mile off, however, instead of being disappointed, you so hope you are right. Amber Heard as Mandy does a good job with a difficult role, Mandy is not a cut and dry kinda gal. The supporting players also keep it real, no over acting in the stoner scenes. You get a sense that these actors know what it's like, no 'Whoa man' moments. It's to the credit of director Jonathan Levine for keeping it real, he's not a horror director, going on to make The Wackness (2008) and it shows, all for the good of his film. One last positive is the film's use of music. No metal here, 60's teen idols instead, more evidence that Levine is blissfully unaware of teen horror trappings.

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I watched the region 2 dvd I purchased via Amazon UK ($16 US including shipping) and received it in about a week (South East Florida). The movie starts slow but is very good and has an excellent ending. Amber Herd is the perfect Mandy.

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